【分享篇】光华：缤纷的生命-认识生物多样性

正德、利用、厚生
生物多样性，可以说是一百多年来西方生物学界对生态研究的结论，但对具有长远生活经验的民族， 其实早就总结出万物合一，生生不灭的哲学。相对于今天生物多样性的三只脚：研究、保育、利用，两千多年前孟子也说过：正德、利用、厚生，同样依赖生物多样性存活的古人，已得出最好的资源使用经验。可惜后代子孙无法及早领悟，跟着西方之后，撕碎了自己的万物一体。

印度在脱离英国殖民前夕， 有人问独立运动领导人甘地，印度独立后能否达到英国的生活水平。甘地的回答至今掷地有声：英国耗费了地球一半的资源来实现它的繁荣。那么，像印度这样的国家需要几个地球呢？

高度开发国家耗损自然资源换来经济成就、物资享受，今天它们强调生物多样性，因为在失去造物主赠予的野地后，它们发现了生物资源的宝贵。

Ethics, use, compassion
Biodiversity is, in a sense, the concept at the apex of the development of Western biology over the past century. but all traditional peoples have understood the unity of nature. Today the trinity of biodiversity is research, conservation, and use. Two thousand years ago, Mencius offered his own trinity: ethics, use, and compassion. People of ancient times, who understood very well their reliance on biodiversity, long ago knew how best to use their resources. Sadly, their descendants have acted blindly, copying the history of the West in devastating our own ecosystem.

On the eve of India's independence from Britain, Gandhi was asked if a free India could achieve the same standard of living as Britain. his answer still resonates: Britain consumed the resources of half a globe to achive its prosperity. In that case, how many planets would a country like India have to consume to match?

The wealthy countries exhausted their natural resources to become wealthy. Now that they have lost what nature gave them, they ralize how valuable it is.


摘自2001年5月，第26卷光华。